Display apparatus having various shape

ABSTRACT

Disclosed relates to a display device including: a display unit displaying an image and formed such that interior angles that outer frames thereof make have values smaller or larger than 90°, and a driving unit driving the display unit by supplying image and character information to the display unit. Moreover, the display device is applicable to a game device including: a main body; a monitor included in the main body and displaying a game screen; and a display unit included in the main body and displaying an image, in which outer frames thereof selectively make a circular shape, a semicircular shape, or a shape mixed with a straight line and a curved line. The display device has an advantageous effect in that the display unit is designed with various shapes such as a semicircle and the like, thus polishing the appearance and providing a variety of designs.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a display device and, moreparticularly, to a display device of various shapes such as a circle,and the like, that displays character or image information and isapplicable to a game device to serve an advertisement purpose.

BACKGROUND ART

In general, a display device is a device that displays image orcharacter information on a screen thereof so that a user recognizes suchinformation.

Such display devices including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquidcrystal display (LCD), a plasma display panel (PDP), an organicelectroluminescence (EL), etc. have been developed variously, and theymay be selectively used according to the use purpose or the preference.

The display device generally comprises a display main body 1 having arectangular shape and a screen 2 included in the display main body 1 asdepicted in FIG. 1.

Accordingly, as the image or character information is displayed on thescreen 2, the display device may be appropriately used as a televisionset, a computer monitor, an advertising board, etc. according to the usepurpose.

However, such a display device having a rectangular screen has a problemin that it has considerable limitations in terms of design.

That is, the display device having a rectangular screen has a problem inthat it cannot ensure a variety of designs for commercial or industrialpurposes.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The present invention has been made in an effort to solve theabove-described problems, and an object of the present invention is toprovide a display device in which a display unit is configured invarious shapes such as a semicircle and the like to ensure a variety ofdesigns, and a game device using the same.

Moreover, another object of the present invention is to provide adisplay device that is suitably applicable to a game player, a slotmachine, or a casino machine for a reel game, and the like, by designingthe display unit with various shapes, and a game device using the same.

TECHNICAL SOLUTION

To accomplish the object of the present invention, there is provided adisplay device comprising: a display unit displaying an image and formedsuch that interior angles that outer frames thereof make have valuessmaller or larger than 90°; and a driving unit driving the display unitby supplying image and character information to the display unit.

Moreover, the present invention provides a game device comprising: amain body; a monitor included in the main body and displaying a gamescreen; and a display unit included in the main body and displaying animage, in which interior angles that outer frames thereof make havevalues smaller or larger than 90° or the outer frames selectively make acircular shape, a semicircular shape, or a shape mixed with a straightline and a curved line.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS

According to the present invention, the display unit is designed withvarious shapes such as a semicircle and the like, thus polishing theappearance and providing a variety of designs.

Moreover, the display unit designed with various shapes in accordancewith the present invention provides advantageous effects in that it issuitably applicable to a game player, a slot machine, or a casinomachine for a reel game, and the like, and thereby it is appropriatelyused as an advertising board, a bulletin board, an image medium, and thelike.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view depicting an LCD device in accordance witha conventional art;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view depicting a semicircular display device inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view depicting an internal structureof the semicircular display device in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view depicting a display device in accordancewith another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a front view showing an example of a game device, to which adisplay device in accordance with the present invention is applied to.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a display device and a game device usingthe same. The present invention may be embodied by a display devicecomprising: a display unit displaying an image and formed such thatinterior angles that outer frames thereof make have values smaller orlarger than 90°; and a driving unit driving the display unit bysupplying image and character information to the display unit, and by agame device using the display device comprising: a main body; a monitorincluded in the main body and displaying a game screen; and a displayunit included in the main body and displaying an image, in whichinterior angles that outer frames thereof make have values smaller orlarger than 90° or the outer frames selectively make a circular shape, asemicircular shape, or a shape mixed with a straight line and a curvedline.

MODE FOR THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, the present invention will now be described more fully withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown.

As depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3, a display device 1 that the presentinvention proposes may be formed in various shapes such as a semicircle,a pentagon, a circle, etc. other than a rectangular shape ofconventional displays in the same manner, and the display device havinga semicircular shape will be described as an example in the followingpreferred embodiments.

The display device 1 comprises a display unit 11 displaying an image andformed such that interior angles that outer frames make have valuessmaller or larger than 90°, and a driving unit 13 driving the displayunit 11 by supplying image and character information to the display unit11.

Here, the outer frames denote a curved line and a straight line thatmake a front frame 12 (see FIG. 3), and the interior angles denoteangles that the curved line and the straight line make.

The display unit 11 comprises front and rear frames 12 and 14, and adisplay panel 16 included in the front and rear frames 12 and 14 anddisplaying an image.

Here, the display panel 16 may preferably include a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD) and selectively include a plasma display panel (PDP), anorganic electroluminescence (EL), a cathode ray tube (CRT), anelectronic paper display (EPD), and the like.

Since the display panel 16 and the driving unit 13 provided therein havevarious shapes such as a semicircle, a pentagon, a circle, etc. otherthan the rectangular shape, the front and rear frames 12 and 14 have thesame shapes as the display panel 15 and the driving unit 13.

The display panel 16 having a semicircular shape displays a desiredimage by supplying an electric power to a liquid crystal layer.

The driving unit 13 includes a substrate 24 provided on one side of thedisplay panel 16 and applying a driving signal to the display panel 16,a driving IC package 26 including a gate driving IC package and a datadriving IC package and arranged on the display panel 16 to supplyinformation, and a backlight assembly 15 supplying light to the displaypanel 16.

The substrate 25 is provided on one side of the display panel 16 and hasa driving circuit therein to apply a driving signal to the display panel16. The driving IC package 26 including the gate driving IC package andthe data driving IC package is arranged along the one side of thedisplay panel 16.

Here, the substrate 24 and the driving IC package 26 may be suitablyarranged on the lower circumference of the display panel 16.

Accordingly, a desired image can be displayed on the display panel 16 bythe driving signal applied from the substrate 24.

Meanwhile, the backlight assembly 15 includes light sources 22 and 24supplying light, covers 25 and 27 covering the light sources 22 and 24,a light guide plate 20 ensuring luminance characteristics of the lightfrom the light sources 22 and 23 and guiding the light to the displaypanel 16, and an optical sheet 18 ensuring the luminance characteristicsof the light from the light sources 22 and 23 and supplying the light tothe display panel 16.

The structure of the backlight assembly 15 may be suitably changed tohave a semicircular shape. That is, in case of the light sources 22 and23, a fluorescent lamp 23 arranged in the lower portion thereof has arectilinear shape and a fluorescent lamp 22 arranged in the upperportion thereof has a semicircular shape. Of course, the cover 27covering the outside of the light sources 22 and 23 has a semicircularshape.

Accordingly, it is possible to suitably apply the light sources 22 and23 having a semicircular shape to the backlight assembly 15.

Moreover, the light guide plate 20 and the optical sheet 18 also have asemicircular shape to correspond to the display panel 16.

As a result, the light emitted from the light source 22 and 23 passesthrough the light guide plate 20 and the optical sheet 18 to beirradiated on the display panel 16.

As above, although the description has been made, by way of an example,in which the lamps are exemplified as the light sources 22 and 23, thepresent invention is not limited thereto, but it is possible to use alight emitting diode LED instead of the lamp and to use a line lightsource or a surface light source.

Like this, by designing the display device with a semicircular shape, itis possible to polish the appearance compared with the conventionaldisplay having a rectangular shape and to provide a variety of designs.

The display device may be fabricated in various shapes such as apentagon, a circle, etc. other than the semicircular shape as describedabove.

Another example of the display device having another shape is depictedin FIG. 4.

That is, FIG. 4 depicts a display device having a shape in which asemicircle extends downward.

In more detail, the display device 30 in the figure comprises arectilinear portion 32 formed with a predetermined height and a curvedportion 31 formed between the rectilinear portions 32.

Accordingly, the front and rear frames 34 and the backlight assemblyincluding the light guide plate, optical sheet, lamp, etc. of thedisplay device 30 have shapes including the rectilinear portions and thecurved portion.

As above, although the description has been made, by way of an example,in which the LCD is exemplified as the display device, the presentinvention is not limited thereto, but it may include the other displaymedia, such as a plasma display panel (PDP), a projection, an organicelectroluminescence (EL), and the like.

Meanwhile, while the display device may be applied to various fieldssuch as a television set, a computer monitor, etc., preferably, it isapplied to a game player, i.e., a casino machine.

That is, as depicted in FIG. 5, a semicircular display device that thepresent invention proposes is provided in the upper portion of a casinomachine.

Accordingly, it is possible to display various images on thesemicircular display device and thereby it may be used as an advertisingboard, a bulletin board, and the like.

In more detail, the casino machine 40 comprises a main body 42, amonitor 44 included in the main body 42 and displaying a casino gamescreen, a handle 46 for playing a game, and a display unit 48 includedin the upper portion of the main body 42 and displaying an image.

Such a casino machine 40 denotes a machine widely known in the art.

That is, the game starts by pulling the handle 46 of the casino machine40, and a user may gain points or game money by the combination ofpictures or symbols displayed on the monitor 44.

During the game, it is possible to display an advertisement, a report orinformation, a television program, and the like through the display unit48.

Accordingly, the display unit 48 may be suitably used as an advertisingboard, a bulletin board, a TV set, and the like.

Of course, the display unit 48 is not limited to an LCD, but may be aplasma display panel (PDP), an organic electroluminescence (EL), aprojection, and the like.

Moreover, the display unit 48 may be formed with various shapes such asa triangle, a pentagon, a lozenge, a circle, etc. as well as thesemicircular shape.

Furthermore, it is possible to display information related to the gameon the display unit 48.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, the display unit designed withvarious shapes provides advantageous effects in that it is suitablyapplicable to a game player, a slot machine, or a casino machine for areel game, and the like, and thereby it is appropriately used as anadvertising board, a bulletin board, an image medium, and the like.Accordingly, it is possible to provide a variety of information throughthe display device applied to the casino machine to related companiesand users.

1. A display device comprising: a display unit displaying an image andformed such that interior angles that outer frames thereof make havevalues smaller or larger than 90°; and a driving unit driving thedisplay unit by supplying image and character information to the displayunit.
 2. A display device comprising: a display device displaying animage, in which outer frames thereof selectively make a circular shape,a semicircular shape, or a shape mixed with a straight line and a curvedline; and a driving unit driving the display unit by supplying image andcharacter information to the display unit.
 3. The display device asrecited in claim 1 wherein the display unit comprises front and rearframes, and a display panel included in the front and rear frames anddisplaying an image, the display panel being driven in a liquid crystaldisplay method.
 4. The display device as recited in claim 3, wherein thedriving unit comprises a substrate provided on one side of the displaypanel and applying a driving signal to the display panel, a driving ICpackage including a gate driving IC package and a data driving ICpackage and arranged on the display panel to supply information, and abacklight assembly supplying light to the display panel.
 5. The displaydevice as recited in claim 4, wherein the backlight assembly comprises alight source supplying light, a cover covering the light source, a lightguide plate guiding the light emitted from the light source to thedisplay panel, and an optical sheet ensuring luminance characteristicsof the light from the light source and supplying the light to thedisplay panel.
 6. The display device as recited in claim 5, wherein thelight source, the cover, the light guide plate and the optical sheethave the same shape as the display panel.
 7. The display device asrecited in claim 1, wherein the display unit and the driving unitinclude at least one selected from the group consisting of a plasmadisplay panel (PDP), an organic electroluminescence (EL) display, acathode ray tube (CRT) and an electronic paper display (EPD).
 8. Thedisplay device as recited in claim 1, wherein the display unit has ashape selected from the group consisting of a triangle, a pentagon, anda lozenge such that the interior angles that the outer frames make havevalues smaller or larger than 90°.
 9. A game device comprising: a mainbody; a monitor included in the main body and displaying a game screen;and a display unit included in the main body and displaying an image, inwhich interior angles that outer frames thereof make have values smalleror larger than 90° or the outer frames selectively make a circularshape, a semicircular shape, or a shape mixed with a straight line and acurved line.
 10. The game device as recited in claim 9, wherein thedisplay unit comprises front and rear frames, a display panel includedin the front and rear frames and displaying an image, a substrateprovided on one side of the display panel and applying a driving signalto the display panel, a driving IC package including a gate driving ICpackage and a data driving IC package and arranged on the display panelto supply information, and a backlight assembly supplying light to thedisplay panel.
 11. The game device as recited in claim 10, wherein thebacklight assembly comprises a light source supplying light, a covercovering the light source, a light guide plate guiding the light emittedfrom the light source to the display panel, and an optical sheetensuring luminance characteristics of the light from the light sourceand supplying the light to the display panel.
 12. The game device asrecited in claim 9, wherein a handle for starting a game is included onone side of the main body and a casino game screen is displayed on themonitor so as to play a casino game.
 13. The game device as recited inclaim 9, wherein the display unit includes at least one selected fromthe group consisting of a plasma display panel (PDP), an organicelectroluminescence (EL) display, a cathode ray tube (CRT), anelectronic paper display (EPD), and a liquid crystal display (LCD). 14.The game device as recited in claim 9, wherein the display unit has ashape selected from the group consisting of a triangle, a pentagon, anda lozenge.
 15. The game device as recited in claim 9, wherein thedisplay unit displays information and screen related to the game. 16.The display device as recited in claim 2, wherein the display unitcomprises front and rear frames, and a display panel included in thefront and rear frames and displaying an image, the display panel beingdriven in a liquid crystal display method.
 17. The display device asrecited in claim 16, wherein the driving unit comprises a substrateprovided on one side of the display panel and applying a driving signalto the display panel, a driving IC package including a gate driving ICpackage and a data driving IC package and arranged on the display panelto supply information, and a backlight assembly supplying light to thedisplay panel.
 18. The display device as recited in claim 17, whereinthe backlight assembly comprises a light source supplying light, a covercovering the light source, a light guide plate guiding the light emittedfrom the light source to the display panel, and an optical sheetensuring luminance characteristics of the light from the light sourceand supplying the light to the display panel.
 19. The display device asrecited in claim 18, wherein the light source, the cover, the lightguide plate and the optical sheet have the same shape as the displaypanel.
 20. The display device as recited in claim 2, wherein the displayunit and the driving unit include at least one selected from the groupconsisting of a plasma display panel (PDP), an organicelectroluminescence (EL) display, a cathode ray tube (CRT) and anelectronic paper display (EPD).